The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet

The Secrets of Droon is a fantasy series of chapter books for young readers. It begins with The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet, in which protagonist Eric Hinkle and his friends, Neal and Julie, first discover the hidden stairs in his parents’ basement and travel to the magical realm of Droon. They learn that in Droon, wizards and magical creatures exist and time passes differently. When Eric and his friends return from a long adventure in Droon, only a few minutes have passed in their own world, which the books refer to as the “Upper World.” This novel also establishes important rules of world-building, such as the fact that Droon must be kept a secret and that nothing from one realm must be left behind in the other realm. These rules will constrain Eric and his friends throughout the series.

In Droon, two factions are battling for supremacy. The wizard Galen Longbeard, King Zello, and Zello’s daughter Princess Keeah represent the forces of good, while Lord Sparr leads the forces of evil. Lord Sparr is aided by his minions (the strange red creatures called Ninns and their flying lizard mounts, called groggles).